This new take on French Onion Soup will make the process quick and easy! This recipe is made in the Instant Pot and is topped with French Baguette and melty gruyere cheese.
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Recipe Origins
French onion soup is an incredible, umami-filled treat made with caramelized onions and beef broth, topped with bread and bubbling gruyere cheese.
It has and will continue to be an important soup in French restaurants, with its deliciousness enticing everyone that tries it. What’s more, in France, French Onion Soup is considered a hangover soup and is served after a long night of drinking.
Who Invented French Onion Soup?
Though this soup is called “French” Onion, a version of it was made in Ancient Rome long before it became popular in France.
As for modern-day French onion soup, there are two theories for how French Onion soup was first discovered and made popular, and both involve King Louis XV and his family.
King Louis XV’s Invention
In the first story, King Louis returned from a day of hunting to have dinner with his aunt. Unfortunately, after returning to the lodge, they discovered that the only thing left in the cupboards were onions, butter, and champagne.
They boiled the ingredients together and were left with the popular soup we know today!
Nicolas Appert’s Invention
The second story focuses on Nicolas Appert, the father of food preservation and the inventor of canning. Appert was working in the kitchen of La Pomme d’Or in Châlons-en-Champagne, a hotel in France.
The Duke of Lorraine (father of Queen Marie, father-in-law of King Louis XV, and ex-king of Poland) was on his way to visit King Louis XV and Queen Marie at Versailles when he stopped in for dinner at the hotel.
After eating a few bites of Appert’s French Onion soup, he ran down to the kitchen and watched through tears (from the onions) as the chef prepared the soup. In his bathrobe in the kitchen, the Duke of Lorraine wrote down exactly how to make the soup with the intention of making it for his daughter and son in law upon his arrival.
Appert later published a cookbook and dedicated the soup to the Duke of Lorraine, and France quickly fell in love with the meal.
Why Make this Recipe
- Melty Cheese: As a kid, I would order French Onion Soup before dinner every time it was on the menu. In typical kid fashion, I would eat all the cheese off of the top of the bowl and leave the soup behind. These days, I still love the cheese, but get some bread and onion soup in the bites too and you have soup heaven.
- “Travel” to France: France is at the top of almost everyone’s bucket list, and for good reason! The food there is incredible, and this soup recipe is no different. You can taste the deliciousness of France from your own home by making this soup!
- Easy in the Instant Pot: The best part about this recipe is that it’s INSTANT POT French Onion soup, meaning that this simple recipe just got even easier. The Instant Pot will cook your soup in half the time, leaving every bit infused with flavor.
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe
Ingredients
- Onions: I use sweet onions, which I peel, cut in half, and then cut into slices
- Wine: Use a dry white wine.
- Gruyere Cheese: I buy an 8 oz block of gruyere cheese and grate it on the largest setting of a cheese grater. If you want to know which cheese is the best cheese for french onion soup and to find out possible substitutes, I make sure you have all that information too.
- Liquids: Beef stock, worcestershire sauce
- Baguette: I buy my baguette a day before and leave it in an open bag on the counter overnight. This ensures that the baguette is stale enough for the soup. If you have a fresh baguette, follow the instructions in the Expert Tips section to toast the baguette.
- Herbs & Spices: Bay leaves, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper
- Kitchen Staples: Unsalted butter, granulated sugar,
Tools
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: I use an 8 quart pressure cooker, but a 6 quart will work fine as well.
- Wooden Spoon
- Cheese Grater
- Soup Crocks: I bought these ones in white
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Saute the Onions
Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Add the butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Then, add the onion.
Stir the onions in the pot for about 10-15 minutes until they start to really whither and brown.
You can add extra butter if you think it’s necessary. Once the onions have started to brown, add 1 tbsp granulated sugar and stir for another 5 minutes until the onions caramelize.
Once the onions have caramelized, add ¼ cup of dry white wine and continue sauteeing until the wine cooks down.
Step 2: Pressure Cook
Once the wine is gone from the pot, add 4 cups beef stock, 2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ tsp chopped garlic, 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme, ¼ tsp salt (or more to taste), ¼ tsp pepper.
Turn the pot to HIGH and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Allow for a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release, then perform a Quick Release.
Step 3: Assemble/Bake the Soup Crocks
Spoon the soup into 5-6 oven-safe bowls. Place enough bread slices to cover the top of the soup, then sprinkle gruyere cheese on top.
Place the soup crocks on a cookie sheet and turn the oven to a High Broil. Place in the oven under the broiler and broil until the cheese starts to bubble and toast.
Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
You can easily store French Onion Soup by placing the soup in a tupperware container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 or so days.
Do not put the bread or cheese on the soup until you are ready to serve it. Store them separately if not eating right away.
If your baguette is not stale, you can simply toast it! To do this, cut the baguette into slices and place the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Turn the oven to a HIGH broil and place the cookie sheet under the broiler until the bread toasts. Keep a close eye on the bread as things burn quickly under the broiler.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Instant Pot French Onion Soup? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes that I picked out just for you:
- Creme Brulee Recipe from France
- Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
- Escargot Recipe from France
- Easy Ratatouille Recipe from France
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Wooden Spoon
- Cheese Grater
- Soup Crocks
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 sweet onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Dry white wine
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tsp Garlic, chopped
- 2 Bay leaves
- 4 sprigs Thyme
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- Stale Baguette, cut into slices
- 8 oz block Gruyere cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Add the butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Then, add the onion.
- Stir the onions in the pot for about 10-15 minutes until they start to really whither and brown. You can add extra butter if you think it’s necessary. Once the onions have started to brown, add 1 tbsp granulated sugar and stir for another 5 minutes until the onions caramelize.
- Once the onions have caramelized, add ¼ cup of dry white wine and continue sauteeing until the wine cooks down.
- Once the wine is gone from the pot, add 4 cups beef stock, 2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ tsp chopped garlic, 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme, ¼ tsp salt (or more to taste), ¼ tsp pepper.
- Turn the pot to HIGH and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Allow for a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release, then perform a Quick Release.
- Spoon the soup into 5-6 oven-safe bowls. Place enough bread slices to cover the top of the soup, then sprinkle gruyere cheese on top.
- Place the soup crocks on a cookie sheet and turn the oven to a High Broil. Place in the oven under the broiler and broil until the cheese starts to bubble and toast.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Onions: I use sweet onions, which I peel, cut in half, and then cut into slices
- Wine: Use a dry white wine.
- Gruyere Cheese: I buy an 8 oz block of gruyere cheese and grate it on the largest setting of a cheese grater.
- Baguette: I buy my baguette a day before and leave it in an open bag on the counter overnight. This ensures that the baguette is stale enough for the soup. If you have a fresh baguette, follow the instructions in the Expert Tips section to toast the baguette.
- You can easily store French Onion Soup by placing the soup in a tupperware container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 or so days. Do not put the bread or cheese on the soup until you are ready to serve it. Store them separately if not eating right away.
- If your baguette is not stale, you can simply toast it! To do this, cut the baguette into slices and place the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet. Turn the oven to a HIGH broil and place the cookie sheet under the broiler until the bread toasts. Keep a close eye on the bread as things burn quickly under the broiler.
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